Wellhead



March 18, 1952 J. E. EcKEl. Erm.

WELLHEAD 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed April 6, 1946 2 ,f lalllsw Patented Mar- 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,589,483 l WELLHEAD John E. Eckeland Fritz Richard, Houston, Tex., assignors to Oil Center Tool Company, Houston, Tex., a corporationof Texas.

Application April 6, 1946,'.SerialNo. 660,208

' 7 Claims. (Cl. 16d-14.)

This inventionrel'ates to; a well' head'.

Anobject ofthe invention is to provide in `a' well" head, composed of upper and lower tubular members, novel means for forming a seal between the upper end of' a casing,y suspended in.. the lower` head member, and the upper head member..

It'isa further object of' the invention to pro.- vi'deinaiwell head assembly embodying a casing head and a tubing, head mounted thereon and secured thereto, a novel type ofseal between the upper end ofthe casingsupported by the casing;

to; provide a novel type of sealingjassembly which, maybe installed, or removed, as a unit and which` isi designed to4 form a seal betweenthe base ofi thel tubingjhead and the upper endof a casing which is4 Supported from. the. casingA head. and

extended up into the tubing head.

Itis a further object of the invention. to provide,` ina well head, av sealing assembly designed tjo'forml a seal between the upper end of the Well casingand the tubing head which may be readily adaptedfor use in connection with casings' of different diameters and which is of such con.- struction that itmay be' readily removed, or in-v stalled', by means available at the location where the well'head is' in use.

The'invention herein disclosed constitutes cerL tain improvements over that' type of producing' equipmentv for wells disclosed in Patent No. 2,335,355 issued by the United StatesPatentzOf-l ce; on November 30, 1943..

With the above and'other. objects-in View the' inventionhas particular. relation Vto certain `novel features ofl construction, arrangement of parts and use, examples of which are givenin this specification and illustrated, in the accompanying.

drawings, wherein: L

Figure 1` is a side elevation. of a well head"` sectional. view showing 'still' another forni 'of casing hanger.

Figure'4' is anenlarged, fragmentary, vertical',

. 2 l sectional View illustrating another embodiment ofthe sealing assembly.

/VFigure` 5 is an'enlarged',,.fiagmcntary, vertical; sectional viewfof' the type of casing-'hanger'and sealing assembly shown in FigureA 1, but-'showing the seal ring bonded `to the' adjacent metal parts: F'igure is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical;l sectional view of` the assembly illustrated in Figure 5 adapted forl a larger size ofy casing: Figure 7' istan enlarged, fragmentary/,sectional vien/"taken on the linen T-l' of Figurewff and Figure 8 is' a sectional"detail-taken on the-line` 8 -3 of'Figure 7.

Referring-now moreA particularly tothe draw'- iri'gswherein-'likenumeralszof reference'designatei the same partsV in eachpf the figures; thenumeral I designates the' braden'4 head which'may'be secured to the upper end of the surface, casingjZ" and mounted on whiclrthere. is` the' casingl hea-d3.

Y Supported; on the' casingihead there isa' tub# ing, head 4. The heads I, 3 and #arabi-"tubular" formation, and their `adj acent ends" have external registering flanges which may be; secured.` to.- getherin any'preferred manner. As shown they are' secured together. by'theiseries of. lower" and upper bolts 5 I3 havingclamp nuts screwed: on to' theirrespectiveends to` draw the: heads" to"- gether.`

As illustratedin Figure; l; the casing head has anv inside downwardly tap-eringseat 'I wh'ereon the tubular housingl 8 isl mounted. The housingd contains an annular' slip bowly I0 having; al down-v wardlyconverginginside seatl I I andA withinisaid scattare' the, wedge shaped pipe' engaging" slips I 2iwhich engage with, and'support, an` inside' wellcasingl I3. The slipy bowlis'mounted onan anv nularsealing assemblyv iii which isilocatedwithin the lower end of'said bowl and which surrounds the casing I3. I

- The'slips may be secured and retained, inl errgagement with the casingbymeans-of aring'nut I5 which is-screwed intok the upperend of the bowl and abuts'theupper 'ends of the slips. The housingA 8 enteritisabove the casing 'head1 andthe lower end of 'the' tubing head is fitted thereof as clearly shown -in Figures` 1 and 5; The housing has external annularsea'l ringsR' counter'sunk thereinv andvv located between --it and the-casing head2 and tubing' head,..respe'etively;- asis' clearly shown in Figuresf 1v and? 5T In thisftypefofiwellfhead the base; or. l''awerend,

'of the tubing"headVisf-internally: count'erbor'd neath. This compression ring I8 has an external annular groove I9 and secured to the tubing head 4 and extending radially inwardly there is an annular locking ring 20. This ring 28 may be secured to the tubing head by means of the set screws 2| and suitable openingsl 22 are provided in the outwardly ared portion of the compression ring for the insertion of a screw driver to insert or remove the screws 2| V"in'assembling the sealing assembly. The locking ring 28 may be composed of sections for insertion and removal. Its inner margin projects into the groove I9 and when installed will maintain thesealing assembly in its proper position in thetubing head.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 the casing hanger is in the form of a coupling 8a which seats on the seat 1 and over which the lower end of the tubing head 4 is seated. In the form illustrated in Figure 3 there is a housing Bbwhich is seated on the seat 1 of the casing `head 3 and over the upper end of which the tubing head 4 is seated. This housing 8b has an inside downwardly tapering seat Ila on which the wedge shaped, casing engaging slips I2a are seated. The housing 8b has an inwardly extended flange 8c at its upper end provided with the vertical openings 23 through which the rods 24,' which are screwed into the slips I2a, extend y loosely.

The external contour of the coupling 8a and of the housing 8b are the same as that of the housing. 8 so as to form seals with the casing head and tubing head;

'y There is another type of sealing assembly which is illustrated in Figures 1., 3 and 5 to 7, inclusive. This sealing assembly embodies the upper junk ring I6a, which is supported on the seal ring I1 and the seal ring, in turn, is supported on the compression ring I8a which is of approximately the same shape las the compression ring I8 and which is supported on the casing supporting means beneath. There is an externally threaded ring nut 26 "and the tubing head has an internally threaded section into This key may be welded or otherwise vsecured to `the compression ring and ts into the key way 28 and the ring nut 26 and the corresponding compression ring may be retained together as a unit by means of an open ring 30 which may be snapped into an external, annular groove 3l in the compression ring above the key, or keys, 29 so as to maintain the compression ring and ring nut as a unit for convenience in installing, or removingthe same. As is illustrated in Figures and 6, the compression vring may have a transverse groove 32 cut across its lower end to receiye a spanner wrench to be used in the removal or installation of this form of the sealing assembly.

In assembling the device shown in Figures 5V to 7, the junk ring I6a, seal` ring y.I1 and compression ring I8a are, of course, interconnected since the seal ring I1 is molded to the parts I6a and Ia. The ring nut 26 is then engaged over the assembly and has its keyways 28 engaged with the vertical keys 29 of the compression ring I8a. The ring nut is moved to its lowermost position with respect to the compression ring, and in such position the split ring 30 may be engaged about the compression ring I8a and disposed within the groove 3| thereof; thereafter, the ring 26a is moved upwardly to substantially the position shown in Figure 5 and the ring 38 limits the downward movement of the compression ring with respect to the ring nut. Upward movement of the parts is prevented by the ilared lower end of the compression ring I8a striking the lower end of the nut 26. It is thus obvious that the parts are connected as a unitary structure and may thereafter be inserted within the recess in the lower portion of the tubing head. As explained, threading of the ring nut 26 is possible because the compression ring is connected through the keys 29 and keyways 28 with the nut and a rotation of the compression ring will thread the ring nut into position.

If desired the junk ring above the seal ring I1 and the compression ring beneath may be bonded in any approved manner, with said seal ring so that the entire packing assembly may be installed or removed as a unit. This is illustrated in Figure 5 wherein the junk ring and compression ring are dovetailed into the seal ring. It is obvious, however, that these parts may be secured together in any other approved manner.

By observing Figure 1, it will be evident that when the two heads 3 and 4 are drawn together by the bolts 6, the compression ring I8a is engaged by the coupling 8 and since the compressionring may undergo independent movement with respect to the ring nut 26, connection of the heads will apply a compressive force to the seal ring I'I. The arrangement thus makes it possible to assure movement of the sealing ring into sealing position when the heads are bolted together.

It is usually desirable to test the seals before the well is brought in. Means providing for this test is illustrated in Figure 1 wherein the tubing head is provided with a bleeder port 32a. which is normally closed by a removable plug 33. This port 33 leads into a chamber 34 between the upper seal ring I1 and the lower seals between the casing supporting means and the tubing head and between the casing supporting means and the casing. This chamber-,34 is also provided with a test port 35 having a connection 36 screwed into the outer end thereof. In making the test a pressure hose may be connected to` the connection 36 and pressure fluid, such as oil, introduced into the chamber 34. While this is being done the plug 33 should be removed to permit the escape of all air from the chamber 34 and the said plug should be replaced and pressure applied to the liquid filling the chamber 34. The pressure line should be equipped with a pressure gauge and if the upper or lower seals leak it will be indicated by the gauge. If` after the test is made the gauge does not indicate leakage of the seals the well can then safely be brought in.

This provision for testing the seals is shown only in connection with the form illustrated in Figure 1 but it is obvious that the other forms may be provided 4with similar testing equipment. As is obvious from an inspection of Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, the sealing assembly, there shown, may be readily adapted to casings of different diameters by merely varying the inside diameter of said sealing assembly.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be dened by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a tubular head for Wells a packing assembly comprising, a seal ring formed of resilient material adapted to surround a casing in said head, an annular abutment fixed above and in contact with said ring, a compression ring beneath and supporting the seal ring, a ring nut adapted to be threaded into `said head and surrounding the compression ring, said compression ring and nut having a splined connection whereby they may be rotated as a unit and means for maintaining the ring nut and compression ring together. f

2. In a tubular head for wells having a casing extending therethrough a packing assembly comprising, a seal ring formed of resilient material adapted to surround a casing in said head, an annular abutment xed above and in contact with said ring, a compression ring beneath and supporting the seal ring and bonded thereto, a ring nut threaded into said head and surrounding the compression ring, said compression ring and nut having a splined connection whereby they may be rotated as a unit thus permitting the complete packing unit to be screwed into or removed from the tubular head in one piece.

3. In -a well head assembly having a lower tubular head, an upper tubular head and means in the lower head supporting a casing with the upper end of the casing extending upwardly into the upper head, a sealing assembly around the upper end of the casing and within the lower portion of the bore of the upper head, said assem' bly including an annular seal ring surrounding the casing, an annular compression means below the seal ring, a retaining member threaded into the lower portion of the bore of the upper head, the exterior surface of the compression means having a recess, a projection on the retaining member engageable with said recess and connecting the retaining member to the compression means, the projection being of a size which is less than the longitudinal extent of the recess in the compression means to thereby permit the compression means 15o-undergo upward movement relative to the retaining means after the latter is in threaded engagement with the upper head, the casing supporting means within the lower head being adapted to engage the compression means when the heads are moved relative to each other to thereby urge the compression means upwardly and move the seal ring into sealing position between the upper end of the casing and the bore of the upper head.

4. In a well head assembly having a lower tubular head, an upper tubular head and means in the lower head supporting a casing with the upper end of the casing extending upwardly into lower end of the bore of said head is counterbored to form an annular recess, a packing assembly adapted to be mounted within the recess and comprising, a resilient seal ring within the recess and encircling a casing extending through the head, a compression ring beneath the seal ring, a ring nut threaded into the lower portion of the recess within the head and surrounding the compression ring, interengaging splines on the exterior of the compression means and within the bore of the ring nut connecting these parts together with a telescoping connection, and means carried by the compression ring and engageable with the ring nut preventing separation of the nut from said compression ring.

7. In a well head assembly having a lower tubular head, an upper tubular head and means in the lower head supporting a casing with the upper end of the casing extending upwardly into the upper head, a sealing assembly around the upper end of the casing and within the lower portion of the bore of the upper head, said assembly including an annular seal ring surrounding the casing, an annular compression means below the seal ring, a retaining member threaded into the lower portion of the bore of the upper head, means for'connecting the retaining member to the compression means to permit the latter to undergo upward movement relative to the retaining means after the latter is in threaded engagement with the upper head, the casing supporting means within the lower head being adapted to engage the compression means when the heads are moved relative to each other to thereby urge the compression means upwardly and move the seal ring into sealing position between the upper end of the casing and the bore of the upper head, said compression means comprising an annular ring and the means for connecting the same to the retaining member comprising interengaging splines on the ring and member, together with a split ring within the bore of the member engaged with an annular groove in the exterior of the compression ring and limiting downward `movement of the compression ring relative to the retaining member.

JOI-IN E. ECKEL. FRITZ RICHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi. record in theV le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,900,260 Shaffer Mar. '7, 1933 2,187,839 Penick et al. Jan. 23, 1940 2,312,476 Penick et al. Mar. 2, 1943 2,335,355 Penick et al. Nov. 30, 1943 

